Method of protecting piles or the like.



No. 790,230. PATENTED MAY 16. 1905.

0. A. STBMPEL.

METHOD OF PROTECTING PILES OR THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1904.

I wen l'oz amarfljlfi/ripeZ UNITED V STATES Patented May 16, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

METHOD OF PROTECTING PILES OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 790,230, dated May 16-,1905. Application fi eairune 9,1904. Serial No. 211.719-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OMAR A. STEMPEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clearwater, in the county of Hillsboro and State of Florida,have invented new and useful Improv ements in Methods of and Means forProtecting Piles or the Like, of which the-following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of protecting wooden piles, posts,poles, and similar articles of wood which are driven, sunken, or buriedin the ground either below water or on land. j

v The object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved methodto protect piles from the destroying action of teredos, wa tor-bugs, andother varletles of'marme l1fe, which are such a serious menace to allartlcles of wood exposed to salt water, in which these animals live,.andto protect piles driven in fresh water, telegraph-poles fence and gateposts, and all articles of wood partlyburied in the ground from decayand other forms of destruction, and especially in the case oftelegraph-poles to protect them from prairie and other fires originatingat or near the ground. The desired end is accomplished by surroundingthe wooden article with a shell of concrete formed, preferably, of sandand cement, in which is embedded a spirally-wound strip or wire providedwith spacing-blocks to retain the strip or wire substantially in thecenter of said concrete shell.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of one of anumber of piles for supporting a ier partly surrounded by a binding orhol ing strip of wire or analogous material. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionthrough the post, showing the binding-strip in place thereon. Fig. 3 isa view similar to Fig. 1, but with the binding or fastening strip inplace and surrounded by a mold to receive and shape the concrete jacketby which the post will be surrounded. Fig. 4 is a view in section,showing a portion of a completed pile.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

The numeral 1 indicates a pile su porting a portion of a pier 2. 3indicates t e binding or fastening strip or: wire wound spirally aboutthe pile, as represented in Fig. 3. suitable places on the wire arefastened lugs or spacing-blocks 4. -These may be placed in groups ofthree or four at the bottom, top, and intermediate points of the bindingor fastening strip, their number and position depending upon the lengthof the pile and other-circumstances not necessary to men tion. Inpractice it has been'found that a hard-drawn iron wire of, say,one-eigl1th ,inch diameter and having some degree of elasticity to bequite suitable for the purpose of forming the spiral strip.

After applying the spiral strip 3 in a manner to be ereinafter describeda mold 5 is placed around the wvhole, said mold being of any desiredconstruction that will enable it to be applied to and separated oropened for the purpose of removal after the protecting coating or jacketof concrete has set or hardened. In carrying..out the several steps ofthis invention a strip of metal or wire having sufficient elasticity toretain its shape is first woundabout a mold or form of approximately thediameter of the pile to which it is to'be applied. The wire or othermaterial may be of the length required to extend from the ground to asuitable distance above the highest tide to which the pile is exposed,or the wire may be wound in indefinite lengths anda length sufficientfor the purpose cut therefrom. The spacing-blocks are now to be appliedto the wire, which is quickly done by bending around the said wire ateach designated place a strip or piece of metal the folded length ofwhich will be somewhat less than the thickness of the coating or jacketof concrete to incase the pile. The strip thus prepared is woundspirally about the pile from the surface of the water until the lowerend reaches the ground or bottom of the river, bay, or wherever the pilemay be placed. The up er ends extend above the water-surface, as eforestated, a short distance above high tide, where it is bent inwardly anddriven into the pile to hold it in place. From an inspection of thedrawings, and especially Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the wire isheld away from the surface of the pile by means of the spacing-blocks 4,which blocks extend outward a distance beyond the strip. The flexible siral strip being now in position and held in p lace, the mold 5 isopened, placed around the strip 3, and closed, so that it will bewater-tight, its inner surface contacting with or beingslightlyseparated from the spacing-blocks 4. The mold 5 is now to bedriven into the ground a distance of six inches, more or less, as thenature of the soil demands, and the water contained therein pumped out.Concrete consisting, for example, of a mixture of sand and cement is nowemptied or poured into the mold 5, and, if found necessary, a little drycement is first placed in the mold to absorb the moisture or any slightamount of water that may seep in below the end of the mold. The fillingis continued until the concrete reaches the top of the mold, whichlatter is removed after the concrete has set or hardened.

Piles covered with a jacket or coating in the manner above describedafford a sure protection against the destructive action of teredos,water-bugs, and other forms of animal life which bore into and honeycombpiles or articles of wood which remain for a short time in salt water.When applied to piles driven in fresh water, this protection willprevent piles from decaying.

It is known that piles have been covered or coated with cement; but itis believed that this coating has been applied before the piles weredriven. This method, however, is objectionable from the fact that theforce required to drive the pile and the jar to which it is subjectedcracks and breaks off portions of the coating to such an extent that theentire coating will in a short time fall off and render the pileaccessible to the attacks of the destructive teredos. By the use of thisinvention piles that have been driven and then covered by a pier, asshown in the drawings, may be coated with cement as easily as whenuncovered or before being driven in the ground. The strip 3, passingspirally through the concrete coatingor jacket, strengthens itenormously and binds the concrete so firmly together that it will notseparate from the pile when cracked or broken by blows from vesselsstriking against it.

In using this invention in connection with tele raph-poles the earth isremoved from the base of the poles for about eight or ten inches belowthe surface and the strip 3 wound about the pole below from the bottomof the excavation upwardly some twelve or eighteen inches above thesurface of the ground. A suitable mold 5 is then placed around the stripand cement filled therein, as previously described. By thus protectingthe base or lower ends of telegraph-poles with cement their longevity isincreased, as they are protected from decay and the attack of insects atthe surface of the ground. and from prairie and other low fires which.are so prevalent in certain sections of the country. Fence and gateposts may also be covered by first winding the strip 3 around them andapplying a suitable mold and filling it with concrete and then removingthe mold.

It is to be understood that while the description of this invention hasreferred to piles, posts, and other articles of wood it may be used withequal facility and success in connection with metal piles, poles, &e.

Having thus described the invention ,what is claimed is 1. Theherein-described method of protecting piles and the like, consisting inplacing a spirally-wound binder-strip around the pile and out of contacttherewith, and then applying a plastic coating to the pile so as tocover the surface of the pile and embed the binder-strip.

2. The herein-described method of protecting piles and the like,consisting in applying a spiral binder-strip around the pile, thenplacing a mold around the binder-strip, then fillin the mold with aplastic composition, and finally removing the mold after the compositionhas hardened.

3. The herein-described method of protecting piles and the like,consisting in applying a spiral binder-strip, having s )acingblocksaround the pile, and then applying a plastic coating to the pile so asto cover the surface of the pile and embed the binderstrip andspacing-blocks.

4. The herein-described method of protecting piles and the like,consisting in. applying around the pile a spiral binder-strip providedat intervals with spacing-blocks, then placing an imperforate moldaround the pile and binder-strip, then removing the water from the mold,then filling the mold with a plastic composition, and finally removingthe mold after the composition has hardened.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OMAR A. STEMPEL.

Witnesses:

S. P. I-IoLLINGswoRTH, GEORGE M. BOND.

